Our Time in Paradise - Where to Stay on Taveuni for your next Fiji Dive Trip
- IDreamofMangoes
- Jul 13
- 6 min read
In this Fiji travel guide, I will tell you all about my time in Paradise - an out-of-this-world dive resort on the southern tip of one of Fiji's most beautiful islands: Taveuni. Read on to find out how to get to Taveuni, things to do on the island, and whether Paradise Dive Resort really lived up to its name.
In the times of distorted representation on social media, expectation does not always match reality when it comes to travel, especially if that place is dubbed a ‘tropical paradise’ (I am looking at you, Bali and Tulum.)
So when it came to my first trip to Fiji, I was prepared to take the stories of swaying palms and open arms with a pinch of salt... as surely Fiji couldn't really be as nice as it is in the pictures?
As it turns out, it is.
For our 2-week Fiji Itinerary, we chose to avoid all of the popular chain resorts on Fiji's main island of Viti Levu - and instead split our time between the islands of Taveuni and Kadavu. This article focuses on our time scuba diving in Taveuni.
Taveuni is called ‘The Garden Island’ because of it’s volcanic soil, lush rainforest, and abundance of flora. The parts of the island that are not swathed with pristine national parks resemble a perfectly manicured garden bursting with colorful tropical flowers, it really is so pretty.
All of Taveuni’s resorts lie on the west side of the island, ideal for catching those stunning sunsets, and the southern half of the island is adjacent to the Rainbow Reef, home to some of the best scuba-diving sites in the world. There are 20 or so resorts on Taveuni Island, but only one of them is at the southern tip of the island, so if you’re looking for where to stay on Taveuni for your next Fiji dive trip, the aptly named ‘Paradise Taveuni Resort’ is where I would recommend, and here’s why…
Not sure what to pack for your trip to Fiji? Check out the I Dream of Mangoes article:
This article is an honest review of our time at Paradise Resort Taveuni, as my readers know, I Dream of Mangoes is 100% authentic, and I will always tell you how it is.
Things to Know About Visiting Fiji
As a UK citizen, you can travel in Fiji for up to 4 months visa-free, giving you ample time to explore these many islands.
There are three official languages in Fiji: Fijian, English and Fijian Hindi.
Cash is still king in Fiji; you’ll likely only use a card within major resorts. The currency is Fijian Dollars (FJ$) with an exchange rate of FJ$ 10 to GB £3.50 (as of 06/25).
For travel insurance, I have put my trust in Safety Wing, and I use their 4-week rolling policy as it is affordable and covers almost every country. They have been great so far!
RELATED POST: A Backpacking Guide to the Yasawa Islands, Fiji |
Getting to Paradise Resort Taveuni
There are a few different ways to reach Paradise Resort on Taveuni Island, suited to different budgets. We opted for the mid-range journey, which meant flying to Nadi and then taking a domestic flight to Taveuni.
This second flight was in a tiny 16-seater Twin Otter Plane, which was a fantastic experience. The low-flying plane offers amazing views of the reef, although the journey is fairly wavy, so if you get motion sickness, you’ll need to medicate!
From the tiny little hut that is Taveuni Airport, Paradise picked us up for the 1-hour drive to the resort, but there is a (more expensive) option to take a speedboat from the airport instead.
For budget travellers, you can reach Taveuni from Nadi by public transport, by taking a bus followed by two ferries, the first to Vanua Levu and then a second to Taveuni. This journey will take all day, but you will certainly see more sides of Fiji and save a few bucks. Otherwise, as a third option, if you time it right, you can take an overnight cargo ship from Suva to Taveuni.
RELATED POST: Things to do on Taveuni Island, Fiji (COMING SOON) |
Our Accommodation at Paradise Taveuni Resort
We were lucky enough to stay in one of the new luxury oceanfront bures at Paradise, a ‘bure’ essentially being a traditional Fijian hut, although the one we stayed in was much grander than that. Truthfully, it is probably one of the nicest hotel accommodations I have ever stayed in.
The room came with a private plunge pool, a huge deck with daybeds, hammocks, rope swings, an air-conditioned bedroom and living space, and the pièce de résistance: the outdoor lava-stone shower and bathtub.
The design is BEAUTIFUL, and the views of the ocean from the bed; glorious. The grounds of Paradise Taveuni Resort lie on the clifftop overlooking the endless blue Pacific; they are immaculately kept, and there is never a hammock too far away.
You can make use of the bakery, swimming pool, and bar, and of course, a huge plus of staying at this resort is that you can drop down into the house reef for some amazing snorkelling whenever you feel like it!
Fijian people are naturally hospitable, and we felt looked after and warmly welcomed by everyone at Paradise Taveuni Resort (everywhere in Fiji, in fact).
Things to Do at Paradise Resort Taveuni
Diving - The Rainbow Reef is known as the soft coral capital of the world, with over 230 species of both hard and soft coral, and it is home to tens of thousands of marine species. There are over 30 dive sites for you to explore, and Paradise has prime access, plus some brilliant shore dives.
Snorkelling - We borrowed gear from the dive shop at Paradise and explored the house reef several times a day, it is a beautiful reef and it never got boring for us.
Massages - Paradise Resort has an AMAZING oceanfront spa, and the 90-minute traditional Lomi-Lomi massage was a real treat.
Sulu Tying Lessons
Fijian Lessons
Basket Weaving Lessons
Village Visits
Fiji time! (Doing nothing) - Make use of the hammocks and pool
Happy Hour - The staff have got traditional cocktail recipes down to a tee!
Romantic Dinner at Bula-Bula Point
Board Games (They have a big selection)
There are lots of things to do on Taveuni Island outside the resort as well, which I go into more detail on in my other guide - Things to Do on Taveuni Island, Fiji. (coming soon)
So I think it is pretty clear by this point that the answer is yes, Fiji IS as good as it looks, and it definitely serves to get away from the main tourist hub and stay at a smaller/more far away resort like Paradise, which we could not find any fault with. We loved the room, the staff, the aesthetics, the atmosphere, and the proximity to the reef, and we will definitely be back!
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